Adjustable dry-dock



A. c. BECKERT.

ADJUSTABLE DRY DOCK.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 25. 1920 1,372,394. 2mm Mar. 22, 1921.

3 SHEETSSHEET I.

INVENTOR. KCBC/t)? A. C. BECKERT.

ADJUSTABLE DRY DOCK.

APPLICATION FILED. FEB. 25 I920.

1,3723394. j Patented Mar. 22, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J. GBec/fef'f w 5? Br A TTORNEYS A. C. BECKERT.

ADJUSTABLE DRY DOCK.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 25,.1920.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

/4' I3 4 7 Iii .5 r 4/ m 2 "g 5 1/ INVENTOR. fZGEeckrf ries as A which the respeetivepontoons will float "and TES UNITED. STA

PATENT OFFICE.

ADRIEN C. BECKERT, 01F LO S ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

. ADJUSTABLE DRY-DOCK.

To all whom it may concern: 1 1

Be itknown that I, ADRIEN C. Bnoirnirr, a

citizen of the United States residing at Los Angeles, in the county of 120s Angeles and State of California, have i vented newand useful Improvements in Adjustable Dry Docks, tion.

This invention relates to docks and more particularly to "marine drydocks, andhas for its object to provide a floating dry dock of which the following is a specificaconstructed soasto be capableto accommodate vessels of diiferent beams, and further to provide a floating dock formed ofa plurality of independentcooperative unlts each forming one side ofadock, and also to pro vide for the ready CllSCOIlIlGClJlOII, removal and replacement of anyof the separate pontoons of which the floating apparatiis is constructed; the invention consisting of the construction and details shown i1 1"the accompanying drawings and described and claimed hereinafter.

Figure 1 is a plan View of the assembled porting a vessel.

Fig. 5 is a detail view in section on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

The improved floating dry dock is constructed of a pair of cooperative unit structures eachof which consists of a series of tanks or pontoons, those of one series and unit being designated at A in Fig. 1 and those of the opposite unit being designated at B These units may beof any suitable form of construction, shape and size and are shown as, generally, cylindrical with hem1- spherical ends, all of the pontoons of one sebeing arranged parallel to each other in suitable spaced relation and connected at their ends bydetaching means in the form of chains 2 to the bridge work or" deck structure; the deck structure of each unit comprising a pair of parallel girders 33 forming saddles with seats 3 formed in their lower edges and upwardly into Specification of Letters Patent.

mounting of the apparatus.

ture, of each structed to one side of the placement of the l 18, in this case,

Patented Mar. 2-2, 1921.

Application filed February 25, 1920. Serial No. 361,334.

bear in the construction and assemblage, or

The longitudinally extending saddle beams --3 of a unit are suitably transversely connected as by ties 4, and upon this deck strucunit, is built up a shore wall or dock side, the shore wall including a suitable form of stepped shoulders or surfaces .6 rigidly supported and built upon the framework 5 which is, preferably, condeck structure, so

that when the two units are assembled by the telesco Jic arrangement of the spaced. pontoons and B of therespective units there will be formed betweenthesuperstructure a ship receiving way in which a ships can be shored up as by the shores or braces indicated at T.

To support the ship, each ofthe pontoons is preferably provided with one or more keel blocks 8 of such height as, preferably, to project up above the transverse tie memhere 4: of the units, "sothat whenthe dock structure is previously submerged to the requisite depth to be floated under the ship to be raised then upon the compression of air into the several pontoons and the diswater, with the upward movement of the pontoons and deck structure, the keelblocks 8 will come into contact withthe keel of the vessel and thereafter the load of thevessel will be taken directly by the pontoon structures through means of the keel blocks 8.

It is desirable to provide for the relative transverse adjustment of the units so as to accommodate vessels of different beam, and

to accomplish this with facility certain transverse members 4 of the pontoon system A, for instance, can be provided with a tooth or rack member or surface 10 of. suitable length, and this is designed to engage with a screw or other complementary medium 11,here shown as formed or mounted onthe end of a respective shaft 12 a series of which is proridechas n1ay be required; and all of the shafts extend transversely with respect to the unit and have pinions 13 at one end, these pinions engaging respective gears 14 that are secured on a longitudinally extend- 111g shaft 15, Figs. 1 and 2, on a suitable polnt at which there 1s secured a drlvlng pinion 16 engaging a complementary pinion 17 that is secured on the lower 'endof a shaft extending upwardly through suitable bearings and having on its :upper V45 1 whenthe water valve 34 of each section of 111011I1l36d'011 a shaft of an engine 25.

end a gear 19 meshing with a gear 20 secured on the end of a ]21Cl shaft 21, Flg. 1.

I This shaft has a. gear 22 fixed thereon and this gear is in constant mesh with a pair of reverse gears 23 and 24L that are loosely The 7 engine is mounted in any suitable and con- I worms or screws'll and thus cause the relative shift of. the'units as to each other, a suitable clutch device is mounted on the shaft of the engine 25 and indicated at 26,

"the throwing of this clutch in one direction 1 locking the gear 23 to the engine shaft and fithu's driving the. jack shaft 21 in one dir'ection. Conversely, the throwing of the clutch 26'inthe opposite direction will inter- 7 look thed'riving; pinion 24 with the gear 22 and the shaft 21 will be reversed.

While the one shifting mechanism may be serviceable to secure the relative lateral adjustment or movement of the dock units, it

' is preferred that each of these units be provided with its own pneumatic system for compressing a1r into the respective pontoons AA or B-B and to that end a motor j "is mounted on e'achofthe units and is adaptedto operate an air compressor C, a clutch 30 being interposed between the engine and the compressor SQ that the latter can be operated at'will or disconnected from the engine;

. To secure the submersion of the float or toenable the latter to be shifted in under a vessel to be raised, each of the air compressors of the units is connected as by a I main air pipe "31 to a distributing air pipe 82, the air. pipe 31, preferably, being provided with a blow-off valve 33 which when opened will permit of the exhaust of air as water will flow into the pontoons of the unit the pontoon, when the pontoon is provided with sections as 1s preferred, is open.

To elevate the'float the valve 33 is closed,

the water valves 34: of the respective unit opened, and the compressor operated so that compressed air will flow through branches 35 thereof, each of these branches being connected as byanother branch 36 to the respective compartments of the several pontoons. The compressing of the air-will discharge the water from the compartments of the'pontoons whereupon valves 37 of the compartments atthe head of the branches 36 can be .closedso as to retain the air pressure onieach of the compartments.

' It willbeunderstood that after the pontoons have been filled to the desired degree with water by the outlet of the air from the compartments as by the opening of the local valves 37 or the main blow-off valve 33 that the immersed dock will be shifted to a position under the vessel to be raised and then the main blow-off valve closed, and also the sea or water valves will be opened by the turning of the handwheels 34: thereof and air will be pumped into the pontoons to the desired degree of pressure so that the water will be expelled, with the result that the pontoons will press upwardly against the superstructure and the keel blocks 8 be shifted up against the keel of the vessel and the load thereof taken up; and further upward movement of the dock will cause the vessel to be lifted to the desired degree, and if necessary entirely above the surface of the water.

From the above it will be seen that it is possible to entirely disconnect any of the pontoons A or B that may ha e become damaged or destroyed and replace the same without putting the dry dock entirely out of commission, and these changes may be made while the dock is still being used for the support or floating of a vessel or other 7 into the interior of the pontoons or the coinpartments thereof.

In order to relieve the adjustment mechanism comprising the rack 10 and the screw 11 from the burden of the pressure as between the unit members, the transverse girders or connecting elements lmay ride in engagement with respective bearing portions 4; provided therefor in the longitudinal members or bridge work 3.

Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. A floating dry dock comprising two independent buoyant side units each having a standing shore wall and a series of pontoons extending transversely from the respective units.

2. A floating dry dock comprising two independent buoyant side units each having a standing shore wall and a series of spaced pontoons extending transversely to the unit to telescope between the pontoons of the other units.

' 3: A floating dry dock comprising two independent buoyant side units each having a. standing shore wall and a series of spaced pontoons extending transversely to the unit to telescope between the pontoons of the other units, and means on each unit for air charging the pontoons thereof.

4. A floating dry dock comprising two independent buoyant side units each having a standing shore wall and a power plant on one unit for relatively moving the units,

when assembled, so as to accommodate vessels of difi'erent sizes.

5. A floating dry dock comprising two independent buoyant side units each having a standing shore wall and a series of spaced pontoons extending transversely to the unit to telescope between the pontoons of the other units, each pontoon independently removable from its unit.

6. A floating dry dock comprising two independent buoyant side units each having a standing shore Wall, each unit having a rigid bridge, and keel engaging means on the pontoons.

7. A floating dry dock comprising two independent buoyant side units each having a standing shore wall, each unit having a rigid bridge, and keel engaging means on the pontoons and bearings between the relative units.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ADRIEN C. BECKERT. 

